Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries

Creator

Washington Cattlemen's Association Records

Title

Washington Cattlemen's Association Records

ID

Cage 367

Date [inclusive]

1936-1978

Extent

3830.0 items.

General Physical Description note

5 linear feet of shelf space.

Language

English

Abstract

Correspondence, membership lists, organizational files, committee records, clippings, and other papers of a livestock producers' association, including material, 1951-1977, on the annual Cattleman of the Year award.

Biographical/Historical note

The Washington Cattlemen's Association (WCA) was established as the Washington State Cattle and Horse Raiser's Association in 1926 in Okonogan County where the first county cattlemen's association had been organized in 1915. Although an earlier state association was started in Okonogan in 1916, it was unsuccessful. E.F. Banker was elected as the first president in 1926.

The expressed objectives of the Washington Cattlemen's Association are to encourage, promote, and advance the cattle industry through education, dissemination of literature and information, development of leadership, improvement of range and ranch feeding facilities, prevention of disease, detection of theft, identification of brands and marks, paying rewards, sponsoring sales, providing for marketing, arrangement for shows, exhibitions and contests and suitable awards, and to cooperate with all State, County, and Federal agencies and organizations for carrying out these purposes. The Association was incorporated in 1952 with these objectives.

One of the major activities of the WCA has been the selection of the state's Cattleman of the Year, selected from the County Cattleman of the Year. These cattlemen and their ranches are thoroughly inspected and rated for the award each year.

The WCA is a non-profit voluntary membership association of livestock producers with no stockholders. County cattlemen organizations are affiliated and maintain close contact with the state organization. The WCA is a member of the American National Livestock Association.

Arrangement note

The records are arranged in five series: Correspondence, Membership Lists, General Records, Special Events and Programs, and Newspaper Clippings.

Correspondence, 1936-1978, is concentrated between 1942-1950 and 1968-1970. Part is arranged chronologically by year, part alphabetically, and part by correspondent.

Membership lists from 1946-1969 include county by county lists of dues paying members and are arranged chronologically by year.

General Records, 1944-1976 inclusive, are arranged alphabetically. These include internal organization and document files such as Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, general financial, and publicity information. The bulk of this series consists of committee correspondence, memoranda, reports, and meeting

Special Events and Programs consists primarily of correspondence, memoranda, reports, scoring sheets, and publicity about the Cattleman of the Year 1951-1977, lacking 1976, arranged chronologically by year. Programs from Annual Meetings from 1937-1975 are included as well as correspondence, memoranda, and reports concerning the annual meetings of 1942 and 1951, the L.T. Memorial Scholarship in 1949-1970, the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, 1959, and the Bull Sale from 1956-1967. Slides and tape recordings from two national cattle organizations are also included.

The newspaper clippings are arranged chronologically by month from 1972 through 1977 in the original envelopes sent by the clipping service.

Conditions Governing Access note

This collection is open for research use.

Immediate Source of Acquisition note

The records of the Washington Cattlemen's Association were donated to the Washington State University Library in September 1977 by the Association, through Don Ricketts, Executive Secretary (77-56). Added to this collection were newspaper clippings, 1972-1977, donated in June 1978 (78-33).